Law firms are constantly besieged by SEO sales people. Many are articulate, not to mention persistent. However, these sales people will not be the ones who will accomplish your law firm’s website rankings. To effectively evaluate a vendor’s SEO capabilities, consider these methods:
1. Evaluate 10 of their current clients. Examine their search engine rankings and – if you can obtain access – their website analytics. If your potential SEO vendor does not list their current clients on their website, consider it to be a warning sign. It isn’t a bad practice to evaluate the vendor’s website as well. Does their webpage prominently appear on search engine results’ pages? Does their website have a strong page rank? If a vendor cannot achieve rankings for themselves, it is unlikely they will be able to achieve rankings for you. Contact their references. Ask if the SEO vendor delivered on their promises, if the firm is obtaining the expected ROI and if they would choose the vendor if they were making the decision again.
2. High, quality content is critical for your Web marketing campaign in 2013. Ask for content writing examples. Review their current clients’ website content. Ask your prospective SEO provider how many licensed attorney writers they have on staff. Licensed attorneys will provide relevant and substantive material for your law firm’s website that will appeal to readers and to the search engines. Again if this information is not readily provided, be warned.
3. Ask the SEO vendor you are considering how long they have provided SEO for law firms. Longevity is valuable. Not only do search engine algorithms reward long-standing sites, SEO clients benefit from the knowledge and results that many years’ experience in the field bring. Additionally, established legal specific SEO vendors will have experience and networks that will benefit you. If the vendor promises top rankings within e.g., ninety days, run. It is impossible today to achieve top rankings for competitive phrases in a short period of time.
4. Find out many staff members your potential vendor employs to run SEO campaigns. Is there an entire department devoted to SEO or is it a one-man show? The more employees that are dedicated to your legal marketing campaign’s success, the more professionally trained eyes are on your marketing campaign’s results.
5. And don’t forget design! If your website ranks well but is not compelling, you will not obtain conversions. Not all designs are the same, and a vendor with experienced designers can create a site that works well for SEO as well as converting those visitors into inquirers. Read this article on effective website design for more information.
As a lawyer, you know the importance of a strong testimony. Don’t hesitate to examine your potential SEO vendor with scrutiny. To effectively assess your prospective SEO vendor, bear these tips in mind.
If you would like more help evaluating an SEO firm, the legal Web marketing professionals at Consultwebs.com welcome your questions. Contact us at marketing@consultwebs.com or call us at 800-872-6590.
Five Ways To Evaluate A Potential Law Firm SEO Vendor | Law Firm Web Marketing
